Apparatus for deflocculating and emulsifying



April 12, 1927.

E. A. BUTLER APPARATUS FOR DEELOCCULATING AND MULSIFYING lll/f;

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INVENToR 24m ATroRNEY 'Patentedvpr-. 12, 1227. p i

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic-E.

EDWARD'A. BUTLER, Ol BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO COLLOIDAIA EQUPmT CORPORATION, Ol' NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF 'NEW JERSEY.

ArrAnA'rUs ron iaiiimoccULA'riNe. AND Exunsmnre.

Application Med April 30, 1825. Serial No. 26,909.

The: present invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for andmethod of v been to effect a mixture of liquids or a liquid and a solid to form an emulsion or emulsions more rapidly and economically than is possible in many cases through purely chemical reactions.

An embodiment of oiieform of apparatus illustrating my invention and byv means of which my -im roved method may be in art carried out, is illustrated in the drawings accompanying the present specification, and in whichg j Figurel is a central vertical section with portions shown diagrammatically, Y l

Figure 2, a fragmentary view of Van interior surface, f f f i re 3 a r entar view o an in- ,teriogusurface of igodiiie form, and

Figure 4, a detail in perspective illustrating portion of the device shown in Figure Referring to the drawings, a housing 1 Aencloses cooperating rotors 2 and 3 which are journaledin brackets 4 and 5 respectively.v It is contemplated that a stator may in some instances be substituted for one of the rotors. However, when both elementsare intended to be rotated, suitable means will be provided for rotatingthem in opposite directions. As shown Ain Fi ure 1, a pulley 6 is mounted on the huh 7 o the rotor 2, said ulley being driven by means of a belt 8 w ich is in turn actuated by a source of power not-shown. If desired, a similar or other suitable driving `means may be applied to actuate the rotor 3.- The ub 7 is provided-*with a central conduit 9 whichl communicates through.- a' hollow shaft10 with a tank or other container 11 adapted to hold a supply .of material to be treated. Similarly, the lhub'12 ofthe rotor 3 .has-a conduit `13 communicating with 'Us hollow shaft 14 which isinturn operatively connected .with atank 15, the ow'of material therefrom being .controlled by .a yalve A16 v while a similarvalvel? 'controls tlieow material from .the tank '1.1. A spider' 18 is" secured opposite the inner end of the 'eratin wit `a discharge l -valve 80.

duit 9 and supports fa bale 19 which is con- Vex on the side jfacing the conduit 13, said conduit being enlar d at its inner end to -form ya flared disc arge opening opposite' said baiile 19.

Each of the rotors is provided with a pludisposed at an angle to the normal surface of the rotor`2. In Figu re 3, recesses 22 are arranged with their openings directed away from the center, whereas, openings 21 are directed toward the center of the rotor 23.

Figure3 also shows recesses 24 and 25 ar-v rangedin alternating relation, that is, the

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openings of the recesses 24 being directed v80 toward the center and the openings" of the recesses 25 being directed away from the center of the rotor. l

One of the rotors, as 2, is provided with a peripherally disposed annular balile or stop 26 extendin toward therotor 3 and coopa peripheral annular projecy tion 2 on said rotor 3 to form a constricted annular passageway between said rotora Means not shown may be provided in connection with one or both of the rotors whereby one may be moved toward or I away from the 'other to regulate the acebetween :the peripheral portions 26 an eral flan e 28 extends beyond 'the'outer surface of t e rotor 2 and is positioned opposite the opening of the p way between e the members 26 and 27. A,ll'jiusin lhas opening' 29 centroll by a Inzopferation of the a paratus hereinabove described` thel materia ormaterials to be 27. A A periph-l treated may be fed ,through the hollowshafts 10 -and 14 from one or both of the tanks 11 and `15 respectively, `or from auf-'106 other suitable source of supply. Where one of the. rejection carrying members is af stator t e other 'member will bel-.rptated'at very 'high eed while thelmaterial to be treated ieff in the' central openl1 ing. Coming in contact with interior surfaces of the -rotatin member, the material will be moved Arapi y toward the periphery 'thereof encountering abru t changes of direction in its course, such c an s being p roiduced by the ycircular or ann ar prolecting members and. the recesses formed therein.A Where both members in the housing are -rotors, they willbe rotated in opposite directions at very hi h speed and the material Ato be treated will be introduced through either or both of the' central openings as hereinabove described. The bale 19 will serve to guide the material initially as it 'oomesfrom either of the openings. In opincrements of the solid rare reduced to molecular Adimensions or of such-other size as to exhibit properties 4of a colloid. It will be desirable in a great number of cases that the lo eration' described above take place with t e solid in aliquid medium preferably-of such a nature that the particles of molecular or other size will remain suspended in said medium or in intimate admixture therewith. It is of course possible that other apparatus than' that hereinabove described may be utilized for imparting the rapid motion of v translation to the confined increments of solid matter and, so far as my new methodl is concerned, I do not confine myself to the use of'said apparatus in connection there-A with. My im roved methd of emulsiiication includes t e step of reducing the component materials tok molecular or other very small Idimensions and intimately mixing the same referably in the resence of a suitableA stabi zer protective co loid or other ingredient `for retaining the materials inemulsion I form.

either with or without application of heat These-operations will be conducted depending on the character of the material treated and the result desired.

The operation. of the apparatus hereinabove described takes place under conditions whichl render 'observation ratherA diicult.

I It is ,therefore not feasible attempt an 'explanation of the reason for the results' obtained therein'. 011e theory-is that the A particles. ofthe 'materials 4treated, are impacted against each other and against' the'y 'wallsof the confining rotors with auch tre-f ime'ndous force vthat they are'successively tending therethrough and a bale i :i

4disrupted until they reach the fine state of su -division in "which thoyex ibit some ofthe-pro rties of material of molecular size. y An'ot er theory is that the vpolarity of the various components of Imaterials is changed by the forces acting upon the par -ticles thereof in the operation of the apparatus and that this chan of polarit results in aregrouping o the materia s such a way that they resemble colloids in some respects. It is quite possible that further investigation will confirm one or the other of these'theorics 'or will perhaps ref sult in demonstrating thatV an entirely new theory will present the mostv satisfactory explanation of the results obtained. Ifdo not, however, limit myself to any theory of operation.

In usingrapparatus embodying vfeatures'ofv my invention he'reir'labove described, I have accomplished disintegration of solids yto a condition of fineness in whichtliey remainsuspended in a liquid medium without addition of a colloid even in the cases of solids of substantial specific gravity. I have also produced emulsions by mechanical Imeans which have heretofore not been produced to my knowledge byl chemical means, and I have produced well known emulsions in materially shorter time and more economicall than has been ossible in. connection wit processes hereto ore known and in many in'- stances these emulsions have exhibited more stability than said well known emulsions. Furthermore, in some forms of disintegrating machines. operationhas been unsuccessful because of agglomeration or locculation of the materials therein. My improved apparatus prevents or dispersos such ag lomer- Aation and therefore permits a steady discharge ow ofthe disintegrated material.

I claim as' my invention:

l. Apparatus for deocculation, emulsi- Iication, or disintegration com rising chamber, a rotor closing one si e thereof, recessed annular projectionsl extending into said chamber from its op osito sides, the recesses at one side of saidJ chamber being inclined oppositely to those at the other side thereof. p

2. A disintegratorl comprisin `o posed rotors each provided with a p urafity` of concentric annular p with concentric annu ar grooves, the projections f one'rotor being positioned opposite grooves of the other. rotor, and said projec-v tions being provided with recesses each having its bottom surface inclined with repect to therotor axis andthe bottom sur-- aces of recesses of one rotor being disposed at an 4angle to the bottom surfaces of reof the-opposite rotor.

rejections alternating 3. Iiia disintegrator the combination of v opposedrotors having inlet openingsbetween the inner ends of said inlet openings. v

4. A disintegrator comprisino` opposed rotors yeach provided with a plurality of concentric annular projections alternating with concentric annular grooves, the projections of one rotor being positioned opposite grooves of the other rotor and entirely at one side of a median plane -extendin beeing l0 tween said rotors, and said projections vprovided with each having itsbotangle to the bottom surfaces of recesses of l5 the other rotor.

In testimony whereof, I haye signed my` name to this specication this 18 day of April, 1925. EDWARD A. BUTLER. 

